The competitions the club generally enters are:
Speedo league
2 Open meets in Autumn
Thames Valley Junior League
County Champs
Long course Meet Easter
Open meets Spring
Districts
Club Champs
Nationals
The first realistic standard for a young swimmer to try to reach is to represent the club in junior league swimming. League matches are programmed to cater for swimmers in a wide range of ages so competition is on pretty equal terms.
As swimmers get more experienced they may represent the club in the Speedo league which is a national league. There is also a club championship held every year, usually in June. All swimmers are expected to participate.
The next target for the young swimmer is to take part in the County Age Group and Open Championship held each year between January and April. The qualifying times for these competitions are tailored to suit each age group, in one year band, so that they should not prove too difficult for a good quality league swimmer.
There are open meets throughout the year. The first type of meet a swimmer is likey to enter is a B/C grade gala. In these galas, swimmers that are too fast are prevented from participating. If a swimmer exceeds a given time they are given a speeding ticket instead of a medal. Next, there are open meets at different levels, ranging from Level 1 - Level 3. The level 3 meets are similar to the B/C grade galas. Level 2 and 3 meets cater for the more experienced competitive swimmers and can be used to qualify for regional and national championships.
Next come the Southeast Regional Championships. Here the standard is progressively higher. The County we are associated with is The Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. This County is part of the Southeast Regional Amateur Swimming Association.
Performances in the County Championships could qualify for Regional age group and open Championships which are held each May and from where the better swimmers qualify for National Age Group competitions and National Championships.
It is from these National events that teams are selected for International Competition. A tough road but one worth pursuing! Set your sights high but be realistic, especially when you are just learning your trade.
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